CreatingInclusive Healthy Communities in Oregon
Umatilla and Benton Counties in the beautiful state of Oregon recently participated in a community site visit with NACDD and its project partners. The site visit is required by NACDD’s pilot project Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities, funded by the CDC Disability and Health Branch. These Oregon counties are two of the ten local communities from five states that were funded to create healthy eating and physical activity improvements with a principal focus on inclusion for people with disabilities.
NACDD witnessed first-hand the work being done in these communities to promote awareness of the needs of people with disabilities and to make local improvements for disability inclusion through the development of new policies, systems, and/or environments (PSE) for healthy eating and physical activity. People with disabilities suffer disproportionately from chronic diseases and conditions, do not have equal access to health promotion facilities, and often are not considered in program planning. These 10 Oregon communities are working to create healthy community change that benefitsall residents.
NACDD was joined on this site visit by the state expert advisor, Ms. Angela Weaver from Oregon Health and Science University. Ms. Weaver provides support on disability inclusion across the state and has the additional responsibility for assisting Umatilla and Benton Counties with healthy eating- and physical activity-related PSE improvements through this funding opportunity.
The visit included conversations with community partners about the project and the group efforts;observations of challenges experienced by people with disabilities living in these communities; and development of potential solutions for improving access and inclusion to promote health equality.
Umatilla County - Pendletonhas established power charging stations for people using electronic wheel chairs at multiple park locations throughout the town. Other successes include improving access for persons with mobility impairments to Community Park, the largest park in town, by reducing a steep grade entrance and paving a connection between the parking lot and the paved trail; and expansion of a medical equipment “loan closet” so any community resident in need of disability-related medical equipment may borrow needed items at no cost. Efforts currently being pursued include accessibility enhancements to a local fitness center, installation of accessible bus stops, and accessible menus at local restaurants or community wide events where foods is served.
Benton County -The site visit team met with Corvallis community partners and learned that disability inclusion is being integrated into local healthy community efforts for the long-term. Partners are pursuing improvements to make parking accessible at a popular downtown Corvallis theater and a community library in Monroe; to improve transportation access and opportunity so people with disabilities have the ability to travel to medical appointments; and to explore healthy eating and physical activity accessibility improvements at the local SamFit fitness center locations in Benton County.
An added benefit to these community site visits was the presence of a videographer from the National Center for Health, Physical Activity, and Disability who assisted NACDD and the CDC with capturing video success stories about the project. These efforts will continue with each of the funded states/communities in the spring of 2017.
NACDD salutes the hard work of these two Oregon communities and community partners. Inclusion benefits everyone!
For more information on the NACDD Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities effort, please contact Karma Edwards () or Jennie Hefelfinger ().